Baby Scorpion

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Baby Scorpion

Francesca Beard's poem, Baby Scorpion, deals with transformation and consequence. A baby scorpion crawls from a burning log in front of a couple who are keeping warm by the fire. At first the girl feels pity for the small creature's vulnerability but then imagines it as a grown scorpion and the danger it would pose.

Her lover kills it but it appears again, to rise as a ghost. The poem would appear to end with the death of the two lovers, and of the fire itself. Everything is consumed.

You can download the student worksheet and teacher’s notes below. You can also listen to the audio and read the transcript.

Audio (MP3):

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